Hermetically-sealed receptacle for food-preservation



(No Model.)

W. W. STEWART. HERMETIGALLY SEALED REOEPTAGLB FOR FOOD PRESERVATION. N0. 250,109.

Patented Nov. 29,1881,

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' UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. STEWART, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

. HERMETiCALLY-SEALED RECEPTACLE FOR FOOD-PRESERVATION.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 250,109, dated November29, 1881.

- Application filed April 16, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WASHINGTON STEWART, of Brooklyn, county ofKings, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Hermetically-Sealed Receptacles for the Preservation ofArticles of Food; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description of the same.

The ordinary process of inclosing articles of food inhermetically-sealed vessels includes heating the articles to theboiling-point to expel the air, and the final sealing of the inclosurewhile the inclosure is at the boiling temperature. The subsequentcooling and shrinkage of inclosed substances causes a great externalpressure upon the package, and renders certain the entrance of air ifeven the most minute orifice exists.

The object of my invention is, first, to obviate the probability ofleakage by relieving the external pressure, and, secondly, in a greatmeasure, if not entirely, to obviate the deleterious effect of a slightleakage of air. The former I accomplish by admiting fluid to make goodthe shrinkage as the contents cool, and the latter is obviated byutilizing capillary attraction to carry the fluid contents to the placeof leakage in a thin film, whereby the entering air, if any, will beimmediately inclosed and isolated in a fluid envelope in the form offine bubbles or froth.

My invention therefore principally consists, first, in a controllablevent, the outlet whereof may be covered with a portion of the fluid,wherewith the vessel is filled, so that as the inclosed fluid cools andshrinks other fluid will be drawn through said vent, and thus prevent apartial vacuum and the consequent external pressure.

Other improvements relating to structure will be pointed outhereinafter.

That others may fully understand my invention, I will more particularlydescribeit, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a perspective View of a preserving-jar fitted with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4represent modifications.

The receptacle is in the drawings represented by the jar G, providedwith a neck having a screw-thread on its outer-surface to engage with asimilar screw on the inner surface of the cap, A, which binds thestopple to close the jar.

It will be understood that a receptacle ofany other form or of anysuitable material may be employed, and that any suitable clamping orbinding device may be employed instead of a screw-thread.

The orifice or mouth of the jar is occupied by a plug or stopple, D,which is fitted loosely within said mouth, but yet so closely as toleave a very thin space, d, all around between the surface of saidstopple and the inner surface of the mouth of the jar. This thin spaceis a capillary space, and by capillary attraction it will be filled toits utmost limit with the fluid containedin the jar, if the same shallreach high enough to immerse the lower end of the plug D. Theplug D maybe made of any desirable or proper material, but I have found whitewood, deprived of its soluble flavorin g constituents, to be entirelysatisfactory. To prevent soakage of the wood by its exposed end grain,.1cover it with a wafer or coating of celluloid, E, which is impervious,and will not impart flavor to the fluids in contact.

A packingI-disk, O, rests upon the upper edge of the neckvG, and uponthe upper side of the stopple D. This packing-disk may be made of anyproper material, and rubber answers a good purpose.

The stopple D is made concave on top, in

the center, as ate, and the cap A may conform thereto and constitute acup to hold a little of the fluid from the jar.

A vent is made through the packing G, and an oblique hole, H, extendsfrom said vent laterally through the stopple and opens in the concavityor depression 0 at the center of the cap. To increase the capillaryeffect the interior surface of the neck is roughened, as shown in Fig. 2at r, and this roughened surface may be utilized to a good effect when asimple cork is used, as in Fig. 3, because said roughness will aid andincrease the capillary effect, and enable the liquid to climb to thebase of the cork, I as it would not do .if the surface were smooth andglazed. The presence of some suitable fibrous substance to form acapillary connec- IOO tion between the stopple and the fluids withinthejar, as shown in Fig. 4,will be of advantage when glazed or "itreonsstopples are employed.

The operation is as follows: The substances to be preserved are placedwithin the receptacle G, and being heated to the required temperature,the stopper D is put in position with the packing, and the whole forcedtogether by the clamp. \Vhen cooling has commenced the pressure of theclamp is relaxed slightly, and the atmospheric pressure will then forcesome of the liquid in the concavity of the cap inward through the vent Iand H under the packing to supply the shrinkage of the cooling liquid,so that when it has ceased to shrink the interior space will still befilled with liquid and external pressure will be relieved. The cap isthen screwed down again, and the vent thereby closed. Thecapillary spacebetween the neck and the stopple will be kept filled with liquid by thecapillary attraction of the proximate walls, so that if from any defectin the closure of said neck air shall gain access to the interior spaceit will be immediately immersed in the capillary fluid, and isolated inthe form of minute bubbles. This effect may be greatly assisted by thetoughening of the interior surface of the neck of .the receptacle G,whereby the fluid is enabled more readily to cling to and clinch thesides.

Having described myinvention,what1 claim as new isl 1. A vessel adaptedto contain and preserve articles of food in a wet state, provided with aneck made rough or granular on its inner surface, and a sunken orrecessed seat or shoulder, in combination with a st'opple supported orconfined on said seat without covering said granular surface,substantially as set forth.

2. A vessel or receptacle adapted to contain and preserve articles offood, combined with a stopple having a concavity on its top, and a vent,1, extending from such concavity to the lower surface of thepacking-disk, so that the shrinkage on cooling will be made good by theentrance of similar liquid from the concavity on top of the stopple.

3. A vessel or receptacle adapted to contain or preserve articles offood in a wet state, provided with a neck roughened on its inner surfaceto increase capillary action, combined with a stoppleloosely fitted tosaid neck, as set forth, whereby a capillary space is formed betweensaid neck and stopple, as set forth.

WVILLIAM NV. STEWAltT.

Witnesses:

E. K. MICK, CHAS. S. MICK.

